Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake presented the Budget for year2017 yesterday in Parliament.
Several ministers from both United National Party and Sri Lanka Freedom Party expressed their views before media after the Budget speech.
Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said those who spend luxury lives have been taxed by the budget but as a whole they had presented a budget which doesn’t increase anything. According to the Minister, the reason for that is minimizing the corruption and waste. “Our only intention is assisting people. We have done it”, he added.
Condemning objections on budget proposals he further added that there was a silent in opposition side when the budget was read yesterday in house and it proves that our proposals are practical. This is a budget which can be implemented from next January.
Minister of Fisheries Mahinda Amaraweera said that SLFP and UNP joined in drafting this budget for 2017 and most of the proposals presented by them were there in the budget.According to him, this is a progressive budget which will bring the country’s economy forward.
Minister of Housing Sajith Premadasa said that this was a budgetwhich covered all the sectors in the country and provided many reliefs to the public. It has given priority for rural and urban development is progressive, public oriented budget.
Minister of Disaster Management Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said he was very satisfied with the budget presented by the Finance Minister. He pointed out it as a budget which focused specially on students, children, and education sectors.
According to the Minister of Education Akila Wiraj Kariyawasam the budget has showed a specialty for education sector where everyone can be satisfied. He said that several programs such as giving tab computers for G.C.E. (A/L) students and teachers will be implemented soon.
Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Gayantha Karunathilake said that this was a budget which will make the whole the country move towards progress. He said it is a public oriented budget which ruins the bankrupt opposition gangs.
This was a very successful budget. It has focused equally on all sectors such as development activities, infrastructure development, agriculture, and fisheries and is a budget which was drafted responsibly regarding the future generation of the country, said Deputy Minister Karunarathne Paranawithane.
According to him, this budget can be described as an economic-development oriented budget.
Deputy Minister Manusha Nanayakkara pointed out that there is a difference between the budget 2017 and previous editions as it has covered each and every sector in the country. There is something in this report beyond a financial report.“It can be accepted as a budget which was approved by both major political parties unanimously”, he added.
“I see this as aseries of proposals to solve the problems of the country together with the Public- Private partnership”, said Deputy Minister Harsha De Silva.
It isour economic vision to establish a socio-economic image in the country. Therefore we give priority for human resources. It has been proved by this budget, said Deputy Minister Eran Wickremerathne.